Mfa warns Molao not to defect to BMD

EDWARD BULE
Correspondent | Tuesday August 10, 2010 00:00

 

There have been rumours that Molao is a sympathiser of the BMD, which split from the BDP recently. Mfa issued the warning to Molao at the BDP candidate's launch at Mathangwane on Sunday.  The guest speaker at the launch, Daniel Kwelagobe, the BDP chairman gave assurances that he is not leaving the party for BMD. But he surprised many when he dared those who want to leave to do so immediately.  'Those of you who want to leave the BDP, go ahead and leave now,' he said. The statement is a major departure from the conciliatory tones he has employed in the past.  While President Ian Khama, almost always prefers punitive measures against dissenting BDP members, Kwelagobe has been urging dialogue and introspection at every turn. 

At the Sunday launch, he never said anything, either directly or indirectly against BMD or its partner in the by-election, the Botswana Congress Party (BCP).

He was content with narrating Molao's history in the BDP as well as government empowerment policies. 

He said that with so many government schemes available, there is no justification for anybody to live in poverty.

He told the voters to vote Molao on September 4, so that he can represent their interests in Parliament and bring government poverty alleviation schemes to the constituency.  Interestingly, when Molao spoke, he encouraged those who would like to leave the BDP to do so. This, coming from a candidate whose win triggered accusations of vote rigging with the possibility that some of the aggrieved people might even be contemplating a defection to the opposition was indeed surprising.

Calling for unity, the BDP candidate asked party members to desist from encouraging misunderstandings in the constituency.

Molao said that he is going to Parliament with only one thing in mind to represent the peoples' interests and not 'to make things difficult for Khama to rule the country like those asking for a review of the national constitution'.